Calculating machine



Jan. 29 1924.

T. W. ROSS CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 18 1921' 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 QAH. RQ TNQ Filed June 18. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 a ,4. MM 4 a u MW. a a a Jan. 29 1924.

1,482,153 T. w. R085.

GALCULAT lNG MACHINE Filed June 18. 1921 7 sneet-sneet s Jan. 29 1924.

T. W. ROSS CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

arm "up Jan. 29 1924.

T. W. ROSS CALCULATING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet a Y Filed June 18. 1921 Jan. 29, 1924.

T. W. ROSS CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 18, 192i 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jan. 29, 1924. 1,482,153

T. W. ROSS CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 18. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 I; HIIIHIH\Illllllllllllllllllllll 8% LMWZM Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES TAYLOR W. B088, NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

Application lled June 18, 1921. Serlal No. 478,488.

To all whom it nuzy concern:

Be it known that I, TAYLOR W. Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Calculating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce amachine by means of which multiplication and division may be readily and accurately accomplished.

The accomlpanying drawings illustrate my invention. ig. 1 is an elevation of a machine embodying my invention; Fi 2 a plan in partial horizontal section; Fig. 3 a plan of the number counter; Fig. 4 a train of gears of the logarithm counter; Fig. 5 a side elevation in partial vertical section of the left hand end of the machine; Fig. 6 a fragmentary side elevation, on a larger scale, of the lower forward corner of the right hand end of the machine; Fig. 7 a plan in partial horizontal section of the parts shown in Fi 6; Fig. 8 a fragmentary elevation of the logarithm element; Figs. 9 and 10 fragmentary sections of the tape supporting means for holding the logarithm pinion in contact with the logarithm gear; so Fig. 11 a fragmentary horizontal section showing the decimal key arrangement; Fig. 12 a fragmentary horizontal section showing the controlling cams and adjacent pawls of the decimal mechanism; Fig. 13 an elevation of the characteristic indicator; Fig. 14 a fragmentary front elevation and partial vertical section of the gear trains between the main operating shaft, the logarithm counter and the number counter.

In the drawings, 20 indicates the main drive shaft provided with an operating crank 21. Secured to shaft 20 is the logarithm gear 22, comprising a logarithmically curved surface 23 and adjacent gear 45 teeth 24. The surface 23 is formed or determined in the following manner: From the center of shaft 20 the circle is divided into nine (9) equal divisions of each. Each division is then divided into ten (10) equal 50 sections and these, in turn can be divided into ten (10) equal divisions, etc. Starting from any given radial line and at a point any desired distance from the center, arbitrarily adopted as having the value of 55 one (1), successive radii are pointed off in distances correspondin to the appropriate logarithm of a decima increment to unity corresponding to the spacing of a selected radius from the unit radius.

Meshing with teeth 23 are the teeth 25 of the logarithm pinion 26, provided with a pitch line circle 27 rolling upon surface 23.

itch circle 27 is one-ninth (1/9) of pitch curve 23. Pinion 26 is carried by a shaft 28 carried in a bearing block 29., the pinion being held in contact with the ar 22 by means of a pair of tapes 30 carrie by drums 31 on shaft 32 normally urged in one direction by spring 33.

It is necessary, in order that pinion 26 may accurately measure the periphery of gear 22, that the center of the pinion be at all times on a line which is normal to the curvature of surfaces 23 and 27 at their contact point. In order to accomplish this result, block 29 is mounted so as to slide in a properly curved slot 34 in a bracket 35.

The rotary motion of shaft 28 is transmitted, without being afi'rcted by the translatory motion of the shaft either laterally or radially, by the following mechanism.

A pair of plates 36 are arranged along side plates 34 and each provided with a straight slot 37 in which block 29 may slide. The plates 36 are connected at their ends and provided with vertical guide pins 38 mounted to slide vertically in brackets 39. Block 29 rotatably supports a mitre gear 41 on shaft 28. Gear 40 is provided with a proper bore to receive a squared shaft 42 journalled in brackets 43, supported on plates 36, one of the brackets 43 rotatably supports a mitre gear 44 which meshes with mitre gear 45 secured to shaft 42, the arrangement being such that the radial translatory movement of pinion 29 will not affect the rotative movement of shaft 42. Gear 44 is bored to receive the upper squared end of a shaft 46 journalled in a bracket 47 and provided at its lower end with a mitre gear 48 and clutch member 49. Coaxially with shaft 46 is a shaft 50 upon which is sleeved mitre gear 51, having a clutch member 52. A mitre gear 53 meshes with both gears 49 and 51.

Splined upon shaft 50 is a double faced clutch member 54 which may be thrown into an engagement with either member 49 or 52 by a lever 55 carying a segment 56 meshing with a segment 57 on a rock shaft 58 controlled by hand lever 59.

" 61-62 and 62-453 are connected by intermittent gearing, illustrated in Fig. 4, so that ten (10) rotations of shaft 60 produce one (1) rotation of shaft 61, ten (10) rotations of shaft 61- produce one (1) rotation of shaft 62, and ten (10) rotations of shaft 62 pro duce one rotation of shaft 63. Discs 60', 61', 62' and 63 each carries designating numbers from naught (0) to nine (9) inclusive.

By the arrangement above described, angular movement of shaft 20 maybe numerically indicated in terms of the corresponding logarithm, by the reading of discs 61', 62' and 63, said discs being moved in positive or negative directions, depending upon the position of clutch member 54 with relation to clutch members 49 and 52. Inorder to register the movements of shaft 63 and disc 63' and thus provide for an indication of the characteristic of the logarithm indicated by the logarithm counter resulting from actuation of shaft 63, said shaft 63 is provided with a finger intermittently engaging a nine (9) toothed gear 71 carried by shaft 72 which carries a mitre gear 73. Gear 73 meshes with gear 74 carried by shaft 75, carrying a gear 76 meshing with a gear 77, carried by a shaft 78 carrying gear 79 (Fig. 1), meshing with a gear 80 on a shaft 81 provided at its upper end with a three (3) toothed gear 82 and intermittently engaging a thirty-two (32) toothed gear 83 secured to a shaft 84 carrying an indicator disc 85 (Figs. 2 and 13) which is divided into a convenient number say thirty two (32) angular spaces, one of which is 0 and the others designated consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to the right and left of 0, thereby indicating a positive or negative characteristic. Disk 85 is shifted one step only when indicator 63' passes to its zero position.

In order to give a numerical reading indicative of the angular position of shaft 20, said shaft has secured to it what may be con veniently referred to as a number gear of any desired diameter and meshing with a pinion 91 on sleeve 92, the pinion 91 havmg pitch diameter one ninth (1/9) of the pitchidiameter of gear 90. Sleeve 92 is connected to a mitre gear 93 by a set of step-up gearing Y (Fig. 14) so proportioned as to produce one hundred (100) rotations of gear 93 for one rotation of gear 91. Gear 93 meshes with a gear 94 carried by the initial shaft 95 of a number counter N, comprising shafts 9697, as and discs 95', 96', 97' and nine (9) rotations produces one rotation of shaft 98, thearran ement being such that startin with the in ication of unity on disc 98' an zero on the companion discs 97', 96',

95', the angular movement of shaft 20 from its initial osition will be numerically indicated by t 0 counter N.

For the purpose of imposing upon shaft 84 a movement correspondin to the characteristic of an ap ropriate ogarithm for any number, I provide the following mechanism to be manipulated by the operator. In this connection it is to be remembered that the capacity of the machine may be readily increased, over that of the machine shown in the drawings, by additional. mechanism of the character now to be described.

In the machineshown in the drawings, shaft 84 is to be moved in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5) one step for each plus unit in the logarithm characteristic of any given number, and is to be moved in a counterclockwise direction for minus characteristic.-

Upon shaft 84 a disc 100 is provided'with a radial notch 101 which is uppermost when.

0 indicator disc 85 is in uppermost position, that is in indicating Iposition to the right (Fig. 2). On disc 84 mount a series of similar discs 1004, 100 100 100 100 each with a corresponding radial. slot, the

right of the zero (Fig. 13). Associated with each of these discs is a key a, b, e, (Z, etc.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5, the rock shaft 105 is provided with a series of arms 106, each of which is engaged, through the medium of a pin and slot connection 107, by one of the keys w, b, a, d, in such manner that depression of any one of the keys will serve to operate rock shaft 105 to an appropriate extent by action upon the appropriate arm 106, while the other arms are temporarily withdrawn from connection with their corresponding keys. Shaft 105 carries an arm 1'08 acting upon a plunger 109 normally depressed by spring 110. lunger 109 carries a crosshead 111 upon the opposite sides plunger 120,

presed pawls 112+ and 112 and opposite each of these pawls are oppositely tootlhed ratchet wheels 112' and 112 respective y.

Arranged between pawls 112+ and 112- is a rock shaft 113 carrying two fingers 114 and 115 so arranged that, when the shaft 113 is in its medial position both of pawls 112+ and 112+ will be held so that they can not come into engagement with their respective ratchetwheels 112 and 112', but when the shaft 113 is rocked in either direction, one or the other of said pa-wls will be brought by its spring into position to engage the appropriate ratchet wheel.

Similarly, the rock shaft 116 (Fig. 2), similar to rock shaft 105, is provided with arms 117, similar to arms 106 and similarly associated with the keys A, B, C, D, etc., and this rock shaft-116 is provided with an arm 118, similar to arm 108 and operating a similar to crosshead 111, equipped with pawls 120+ and 120 which, relative to shaft 84, are arranged oppositely as compared with pawls 112+ and 112. Opposite these pawls 120+ and 120-, on shaft 113, are fingers' 121 and 122 respectively, so arranged as to control the position of pawls 120+ and 120-, so that depression of any one of the keys A, B, O, D, etc., will operate to advance or retract shaft 84. In

order to further indicate to the operator the position of the decimal point in the result indicated by the logarithm counter, I pivot adjacent each disc on shaft 84 a lever 125 having a finger adapted to enter the notch 101 of the adjacent disc which said notch is uppermost. These levers 125 each carry a short lunger D0, D1+, D2+, D3+, etc., D1, 2, D3-, etc. (Fig. 3), the several plungers being projected up through the plate through which the discs of the number counter N are visible. The several levers 125 are normally held in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, by a series of cams 126 carried by a shaft 127 which may be rocked by the crank 128 so that normally the sey'eral levers 125 have their fingers retracted from the adjacent discs. Each lever 125 is engaged by a spring 129 (Fig. which normally urges its lever toward the adjacent disc.

Shaft 113 is automatically rocked to appropriate position by means of the lever 59, shaft 58 of which is projected toward the rear of the machine and carries an arm 130 (Fig. 2) connected by a link 131 with an arm 132 attached to shaft 113', and consequently fingers 114, 115, 121 and 122 being appropriately positioned at the same time that izlutch 54 is shifted. The operation is as folows.

Assuming that multiplication operations are desired, lever 59 (Figs. 1 and 14) will be moved to the right, thus shifting clutch 54 into engagement with clutch 49. Operating crank 21 is then drawn toward the operator so as to rock the logarithm gear 22 toward the position shown in Fig. 8, this movement being carried forward until the reading of the number counter then corresponds to the multiplicand. This operation serves, through the medium of the logarithm pinion 26, to shift the elements of the logarithm counter to points where they will indicate a logarithm of the number indicated by the number counter. Either prior to this operation or subsequent thereto, the operator will also press an appropriate key A, B, C, etc., or a, b, 0, etc., to advance or retract shaft 84 though an appropriate arc to indicate the logarithmic characteristic of the multiplicand. Lever 59 is then returned to neutral. Crank 21 is then turned in the reverse direction and restored to the initial position thereby returning the number counter elements to initial position but leaving unaffected the logarithm counter elements. Lever 59 is then again moved to the right andthe multiplier, or successive multipliers, injected into the machine in the manner already described. If division is desired, the

lever 59 will be moved to the left thereby connecting clutch 54 with clutch 52 and thereby reversing the effect of the logarithm pinion upon the logarithm counter and at the same time reversing the effect of keys A, B, etc., or a, b, etc., upon shaft 84. At the end of successive operations, the logarithm counter will indicate the logarithm of the result and the operator, by swinging crank 128 so as to withdraw cams 126 from levers 125 will permit said levers to engage their adjacent discs. One of these discs will have its slot 101 upwardly presented so that the adja cent lever 125 will drop into the notch and thus raise the appro riate plunger D0, D1+, etc., to indicate the appropriate char"- acteristic which is to be used to supplement the mantissa indicated by the logarithm counter. The appropriate characteristic may, of course, also be determined by noting the position of the disc 85.

In order to obtain a machine-indication of the result of the several multiplications and divisions which have been performed, the operator, having first returned crank 21 to initial position, will throw lever 59 to the left (Fig. 14), thus coupling the logarithm counter so that it will be driven backwardly by forward movement of crank 21. The crank 21 will then be moved forwardly until all of the indicators of the logarithm counter indicates 0. This movement will actuate the number counter so as to cause it to indicate (in the particular structure shown in the drawings) four (4) digits of the result. Crank 128 will then be moved so as to permit the appropriate finger 125 to drop into the adjacent notch 101 and thus project upward,

- primary operating element, means for indieating in numerical terms variations of said primary element from initial position, counter mechanism for indicating logarithmic values, separable connections between the primary element and the logarithm counter for moving the logarithm counter in either direction b mary element in cit er direction, said connections embodying a pair of co-acting elements, one of which is moved through distances measured in logarithmic values corresponding to distance movements of the primary element measured in numerical values.

ZQA calculating machine comprising a. primary operating;a element, a counter for indicating logarit ms, a driving member for said counter, a reversible driving connection between said driving member and the logarithm counter, intermediate connections between-said driving member and pri' mary element for moving said driving member through distances corresponding to logarithmic values of numerical-value movements of the primary element from initial position, a numerical-value counter connected to the primary element for indicating in numerical terms variations of the primary element from initial position, a decimal indicator connected to the logarithm. counter.

3. A calculating machine comprising a primary operating element, a counter for indicating logarithms, a driving member for said counter, a reversible driving connection between said driving member and the logarithm counter, intermediate connec tions between said driving member and primary element for moving said driving memher through distances corresponding to log arithmic values of numerical-value movements of the primary element from initial position, a decimal indicator connected to the logarithm counter.

l. A calculating machine comprising aprimary operating element, a counter for indicating logarithms, a driving member for said counter, a reversible driving connection between said driving member and the logarithm counter, intermediate connections between said driving member and primary element for moving said driving member through distances corresponding to logarithmic values of numerical-value movements of'the primary element from initial movement of the priposition, a numerical-value counter connected to the primary element for indicating in numerical terms variations of the primary element from initial position.

5. A calculating machine comprising a primary operating element, a counter for indicating logarithms, a drivin member for said counter, a reversible driving connection between said driving member and the logarithm counter, intermediate connections between said driving member and primary element for moving said driving member through distances corresponding to logarithmic values of numerical-value movements of the primary element from initial position.

6. A calculating machine comprising a primary shaft, a member carried by said shaft and provided with an active face measuring logarithmic values of angular movements of the primary shaft, a rotary member engaging the active face of said last mentioned member, a logarithm counter, rc-

versing gearing between said rotary memher and the logarithm counter.

7. A calculating machine comprising a primary shaft, a logarithmic element carried by said shaft and provided with an active face formed by a logarithmic curve generated from the center of said shaft, a rotary element rotatably associated with the logarithmic curve, a carrier for said rotary element radially-movable relative to the primary shaft to permit maintenance of association between the logarithmic curve and the rotative element, means for laterally moving said rotary element as it moves toward and from the axis of the primary shaft to maintain normal contact between the logarithm surface and the rotary element driven thereby, a gear train driven by said rotary element and embodying connections by which the final element of the gear train is unaffected by the radial and lateral movements of the first mentioned rotary element,

a logarithm counter, and a reversing clutch connectingthe aforesaid final element of the gear train with the initial element of the counter.

8. A calculating machine comprising a primary operating element, a logarithm indicator, connections between said logarithm indicator and the primary operating element whereby the logarithm indicator is oper ated through distances corresponding to logarithmic values of movements of the primary operating element. said connections embodying a reversing clutch, a decimal indicator driven by the logarithm indicator. said decimal indicator comprising a shaft, a plurality of discs carried by said shaft each corresponding to a particular decimal value, each of said discs having a distinctive portion and the several distinctive portions being characteristically positioned angularly relative to the last mentioned shaft,

and a plurality of indicators each corresponding with one of said discs.

9. A calculating machine comprising a 5 primary operating element, a lo arithm indieator, connections between sai lo rithm indicator and the primary operating element whereby the logarithm indicator is operated through distances corresponding 10 to logarithmic values of movements of the primary operating element, said connections embodying a reversing clutch, and a decimal indicator driven by the logarithm indicator.

In witness whereof, I, TAYLOR W. Ross, 15 have hereunto set my hand at Newport News, Virginia, this 6 day of June, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one.

TAYLOR W. Ross. 

